London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 08, 2025

Bradford wins UK City of Culture 2025 bid

Bradford wins UK City of Culture 2025 bid

Bradford has won the competition to be named the UK's City of Culture for 2025.

The decision was announced on The One Show on BBC One by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.

Bradford will follow Coventry, the current holder of the title, and those behind the city's bid believe it will generate £700m and create 3,000 jobs.

County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham had all been shortlisted alongside Bradford.

Shanaz Gulzar who led the Bradford bid described the win as a "huge opportunity".

"To celebrate our extraordinary cultural heritage and for our young, ethnically diverse population - who have been so involved in shaping our bid - to become leaders and changemakers and begin a new chapter in our story."

The artist said for too long the city had been overlooked and underestimated.

"It's now our time to shine."

Bradford's council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said the win would bring "so many opportunities" and the area had started "to come to life as never before".

"Being UK City of Culture brings with it so many opportunities for people not only in terms of creativity and culture, but also for employment, attracting inward investment, boosting the local economy and opening up opportunities for young people to enhance their skills," she added.

The landmark year is set to deliver more than 1,000 new performances and events, including 365 artist commissions, a series of major arts festivals as well as national and international collaborations.

Crowds gathered in City Park to watch the announcement


West Yorkshire's Mayor Tracy Brabin said she was delighted Bradford had been chosen.

"No city deserves this more," she said.

"As one of the youngest and most diverse places in the UK, Bradford will benefit so much from this platform to highlight everything it has to offer."

She said the year would be a fitting showcase for the "incredible cultural and artistic" talent in the city.

Crowds in Bradford's City Park watched the announcement live and reacted with jubilation, and the city council tweeted: "OMG we've only gone and done it."


Bradford facts:


*  Bradford and the surrounding area have a population of about 540,000 people

*  In the 19th Century it rose to prominence as home to major textile manufacturing, especially wool

*  Its Victorian wealth means the city today has over 4,000 listed buildings

*  Bradford is the world's first UNESCO City of Film, having long been home to the National Science and Media Museum

*  It has one of the youngest populations in the UK, with a quarter of its residents aged under 16

*  It is the birthplace of the artist David Hockney, the writer J B Priestley and Zayne Malik of One Direction fame

*  Films set in Bradford include: Billy Liar; Rita, Sue and Bob Too; The Selfish Giant and Ali and Ava

*  Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters, is one of the many villages in the Bradford district

The winner was approved by Ms Dorries based on independent advice from a panel of experts led by TV writer-producer Sir Phil Redmond.

She said Bradford was a "worthy winner".

"Art and culture should be accessible to everyone and this prestigious title will help Bradford deliver unforgettable events for communities on their doorstep.

"There was stiff competition and I thank County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough for their excellent bids."

The bid team hope winning will generate thousands of new jobs and investment in the city


Southampton bid director Claire Whitaker said she was proud of the "passion and support of the city" despite losing out to Bradford.

Neal Thompson, co-founder of Focus Wales Festival and a key partner in Wrexham's bid, said the story was not over.

On behalf of Durham's bid, the leader of Durham County Council Amanda Hopgood said they were "disappointed" but congratulated Bradford.


A UK City of Culture is chosen every four years and has previously been awarded to Derry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021).

Bradford will receive £270,000 in initial funding to assist it in developing its plans and will also be eligible for a £3m grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

For the first time the three runners up will receive £125,000 to enable them to move forward with some of the elements of their bids.

Sir Phil Redmond said the choice was never about one bid being better than another.

"It is more that one bid has the potential to make a bigger and deliverable impact."

He said he was looking forward to seeing how far Bradford could raise the cultural bar.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
×